5 The Green Snake's Achievement in Killing the Male Leopard, Finally Leaving the Village to Join the Caravan

Without any hesitation, Qi Tian exhausted his remaining true essence and poured it into the parasite on his tongue.

He opened his mouth and spat out a blue water ball. The ball quickly expanded, enveloping Qi Tian entirely.

The male leopard charged toward the water ball.

The water ball shook three times, deformed violently, but did not break.

"The beast's power is fierce, but water is soft. With softness, it overcomes strength. The water ball isn't that easy to break. I can use this time to recover my true essence."

The water prison curse was meant to restrain an opponent, but using curses relied on the will of the user.

Had he used it to bind the male leopard earlier, it might have been avoided. If it had escaped, Qi Tian's true essence would have been too slow to outrun the leopard.

So Qi Tian decisively chose to use the water prison to protect himself and buy time.

The male leopard failed to break the water ball and instead circled around the lifeless body of the female leopard, letting out mournful wails.

Its eyes, filled with hatred, were fixed on Qi Tian.

Qi Tian felt helpless. The situation he most dreaded had come to pass. The male leopard was already stronger than the female, and now in its peak state, it would surely come after Qi Tian, seeking revenge for its mate's death.

Even if Qi Tian fully recovered his true essence, his chances of winning were slim.

But Qi Tian wasn't reckless. Since the male leopard was coming for him, he must have a plan.

At least, having dealt with the female leopard before the male returned was a stroke of luck. As for the male leopard, Qi Tian believed that his remaining trump cards would be enough to win.

Under the relentless attack of the male leopard, the water ball finally shattered.

During this time, Qi Tian had recovered about 30% of his essence.

When the male leopard lunged at him again, Qi Tian remained calm. He once more spat out a water ball aimed at the beast.

The male leopard easily dodged the water ball's range, but was forced to alter its attack path. As it passed by a patch of low shrubs, a streak of green light shot toward its abdomen.

Although the male leopard sensed something, it was too focused on its mortal enemy. In its mind, killing Qi Tian was all that mattered. Once Qi Tian was dead, it could avenge its mate and die peacefully.

However, things didn't go as planned. The male leopard's eyelids grew heavier. Just a step away from Qi Tian, it collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, its eyes filled with intense regret.

After confirming the male leopard's death, Qi Tian wiped away the nonexistent sweat from his forehead and carefully examined the spot where the male had fallen.

From its abdomen, he retrieved a small, blue-green figure.

It was a snake, about the size of a thumb in diameter, with its head affectionately rubbing against Qi Tian's finger. Its tail, marked with three bamboo-like segments, swayed, as if congratulating its master.

It was hard to believe that the fierce Beast King had been slain by this creature.

Qi Tian was in a good mood. He praised the snake and then tucked it back into his sleeve.

This snake was no ordinary creature. It was a rare beast known as the Blue Bamboo Snake, a creature that existed in the shattered blue sky. After the sky broke apart, it had become extinct. Not just in the eyes of mortal curse masters, but even among curse immortals, it was almost never seen.

Qi Tian had discovered the snake while sorting through some ancient remains. At the time, it was merely a fossilized egg, and most curse masters wouldn't have recognized it, likely considering it just a rare fossil.

In his past life, Qi Tian hadn't known about it and had wasted the opportunity. Later, after discovering its origins, he regretted it immensely.

This time, Qi Tian used blood-based methods to hatch it. Because of the heart's blood he used, the snake had formed a special bond with him and became unusually affectionate toward Qi Tian.

The Blue Bamboo Snake, born as a Beast King, had great spiritual potential. Once it matured, it would at least become an Ancient Beast. But that was in comparison to the Blue Bamboo Snakes that grew in the blue sky, feeding on jade bamboo. After the ancient era, it wasn't easy to cultivate it to an Ancient Beast level, making it more of an unusual beast.

"The Blue Bamboo Snake's bite, with the sting of a wasp's tail, both are deadly—especially the heart of a woman." The poison of an Ancient Beast-level Blue Bamboo Snake was slightly less potent than the Woman's Heart Immortal Curse. But unlike the one-time use of the Woman's Heart curse, the Blue Bamboo Snake's poison could continuously produce effects.

Ultimately, Qi Tian found two third-tier Breathing Restraint curses and a third-tier Swift Shadow curse from the two leopards. Other cursed insects were damaged in previous battles.

With the third-tier Breathing Restraint curse in hand, Qi Tian began planning to leave the village.

---

"Wait, what? You haven't returned to the village for a month because you became a curse master after obtaining a second-tier legacy?" The old village chief exclaimed in surprise.

"Wait, you want to leave the village, travel, and seek opportunities?"

Qi Tian confessed part of the truth, revealing that he had reached the peak of the first-tier realm. As for why it was the peak of the first tier, he explained that there were three bronze relic curses in the legacy he obtained, which made the old village chief marvel at Qi Tian's good luck.

"The world of curse masters is dangerous beyond measure. Are you sure about this?"

"Since the heavens made me a curse master, how can I stay hidden in one place? I must leave the village, travel, and see the world, so that I can truly fulfill my potential as a man!" Qi Tian insisted.

"Sigh..." The old man sighed deeply. "Since you're so determined, I won't stop you. But it's too dangerous for you to go alone. When the next caravan arrives, I'll ask around and see if they'll let you join. That way, you'll be much safer."

"That's exactly what I've been waiting for." Qi Tian thought to himself, while outwardly showing his gratitude to the village chief.

---

Half a month later, the caravan finally arrived at the village.

The previously peaceful mountain village suddenly became bustling.

At the front of the caravan was a large, golden-bronze toad, two and a half meters tall, with a thick orange hue and a wide back. A large bundle of goods was securely tied to its back with thick ropes, as if the toad were carrying a massive burden.

Behind the toad, massive black beetles, the size of buses, lumbered forward. Their black, glossy armor was piled with goods, and more ropes were used to secure everything. Between the goods, curse masters and strong warriors sat, following the beetles.

Behind them were colorful camels and mountain spiders, with boxes strapped to their backs. Winged serpents slithered about, while toads carried huge bundles.

These cursed mounts formed the core of the caravan. In addition, there were many commoners guiding oxen, horses, and mule carts, or carrying bamboo bundles.

The caravan settled near the village and took a night to rest.

At dawn, they began to prepare for departure.

"Check the goods!"

"Is everything tied securely? If anything falls off on the way, I'll have you all punished!"

"Hurry, hurry, feed the black beetles!"

... The curse masters barked orders, making the commoners rush about.

"Master Jia." The old village chief bowed respectfully to a deputy leader of the caravan.

"Oh, Old Zhang, what's the matter?" The curse master named Jia asked.

"I have a young man who, through good fortune, has become a curse master. He wants to travel and seek opportunities. I wonder if you can allow him to join the caravan."

After hearing the village chief's words, Jia turned to look at him. "Oh! You want to vouch for a curse master to join the caravan?"

"Your wisdom is unmatched, exactly that." The village chief responded quickly.

"Hmm… Can you guarantee his identity? What if a bandit sneaks in?"

After hearing the village chief's explanation, Jia pretended to ponder.

The caravan was involved in trade, and while mountain bandits were a concern, the safety of surrounding villages was equally important.

If they lost supplies or any of their slaves died, they would need to replenish along the way.

Jia, sensing that adding another curse master would be helpful, especially one at the first tier who posed no significant threat, agreed to help the village chief.

"Fine, since you've worked hard for so many years, I'll grant this favor."

"Ah, thank you, Master Jia! I'll call him immediately!" The village chief beamed with joy.

Seeing that Qi Tian was just a first-tier curse master, Jia arranged for him to join the caravan, while subtly instructing his subordinates to keep an eye on Qi Tian.

In the caravan, commoners were seen as expendable resources, but curse masters were treated with respect. Even first-tier curse masters enjoyed better treatment than regular folks.

Many first-tier curse masters joined caravans, some looking to improve their business skills, while others, with poor talent or unsatisfactory results in bandit groups, joined in search of opportunities.

However, reaching third-tier was different. Third-tier curse masters were rare, and joining a caravan would disrupt the existing balance of power, facing much more resistance.

This was why Qi Tian had disguised himself as a first-tier curse master.